The Bullet and the Ballot Box

“[A] well-researched history of Nepal’s Maoist revolution.” —Financial Times

“This thoroughly research book reveals how this happened … Machinations rivaling those on the television show House of Cards roiled the palace and the parliament [and] finally drove the royal family from power.” —Foreign Affairs

“The writing is wonderfully concrete and fresh. Drawing on interviews with Moaist leaders and cadres, as well as on numerous untranslated Nepali sources (including novels and memoirs), The Bullet and the Ballot Box opens new vistas on the conflict. It is likely to stand for a considerable time to come as the most comprehensive and insightful account of Nepal’s Maoist revolution.” —David Gellner, University of Oxford

“Aditya Adhikari weaves together an impressive amount of research, analysis and personal observation; and he does so very elegantly. This is a compelling work of scholarship, and a significant contribution to understanding contemporary Nepal.” —Manjushree Thapa, author of Forget Kathmandu: An Elegy for Democracy

“The story behind the extraordinary rise of Nepal’s Maoists was poorly reported when it happened and remains little understood. Finally we have a definitive, objective and highly readable account of how a poorly armed faction of a small communist party launched an armed rebellion that eventually led – through a remarkable peace process – to its leader becoming the world’s first elected Maoist Prime Minister. This book is not only essential for understanding Nepal but also provides broader insights into revolutionary movements and peace processes.” —Ian Martin, Former Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General to Libya, Nepal and East Timor